Fuel retailers Neste Eesti AS was the largest corporate taxpayer in Q4 in Estonia, paying close to €33.5 million in taxes, the bulk of which came as state taxes, according to recently released Tax and Customs Board (MTA) data.

Fuel retailers Neste Eesti AS was the largest corporate taxpayer in Q4 in Estonia, paying close to €33.5 million in taxes, the bulk of which came as state taxes, according to recently released Tax and Customs Board (MTA) data.

In general, fuel retailers, together with wholesale companies dominated the top ten, occupying six spots and contributing a total of €164.7 million to state coffers.

Other companies featured the Estonian arm of tobacco giant Philip Morris, telecoms company Telia and supermarket chain Maxima.

On the other hand, the Port of Tallinn (Tallinna Sadam AS) dropped out of the top 10, where it had been in Q3, as did another fuel company, Petroil PVTK OÜ.

The total amount of tax paid by the top ten companies came to €253.6 million, an 8.7% drop on the equivalent sum in Q3.

The full break down is as follows.

Company Name

State taxes (€)

Labour taxes and contributions (€)

Total (€)

NESTE EESTI AS

33,306,638

168,758

33,475,396

OILTANKING TALLINN AS

31,877,221

116,794

31,994,015

AS TARTU TERMINAL

30,419,247

205,605

30,624,852

PHILIP MORRIS EESTI OÜ

29,895,316

69,079

29,964,395

KROODI TERMINAL AS

26,268,951

34,255

26,303,206

ORLEN EESTI OÜ

22,260,360

51,380

22,311,739

SANITEX OÜ

20,179,386

511,577

20,690,963

CIRCLE K EESTI AKTSIASELTS

18,759,411

1,273,654

20,033,065

TELIA EESTI AS

13,994,993

6,037,220

20,032,213

MAXIMA EESTI OÜ

14,516,746

3,702,289

18,219,035

The data also shows that labour costs make up a very small proportion (less than 1%) of taxation in the case of most fuel companies, particularly Neste, which runs automated filling stations (see pic). Circle K's costs in that respect are much higher. Telia on the other hand has a far higher labour costs bill at close to a third of the total.

Corporate income tax on distributed profits stands at 20% at present, though from 2018 a lower rate of 14% for companies making regular profit distributions has reportedly been available. All undistributed corporate profits are tax-exempt in Estonia. The Estonian tax regime applies to both Estonian resident companies, which must pay tax on worldwide earnings, and permanent establishments (PEs) of non-resident companies registered in Estonia, which must pay tax only on earnings inside Estonia.

Labour taxes and contributions, or social tax, stands at 33%, 20% is social security and 13% health insurance.

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